Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, Stanley Kubrick's 1957 black and white film stars Kirk Douglas as French officer Colonel Dax, who steps in to defend three soldiers chosen to be executed for cowardice during World War I as an example to their comrades. Critically acclaimed and widely admired by other filmmakers for its unsentimental story, raw cinematography, and unvarnished combat scenes, the film also stars Adolphe Menjou and George Macready as self-serving generals and Wayne Morris, Joe Turkel, and Timothy Carey as the innocent men they condemn to death. Watch for Christiane Harlan (credited as Susanne Christian), who plays a German café singer in the finale and would later become Kubrick's wife.